What Every Senior Should Know About Scams and How to Avoid Them

Once again, authorities alerted seniors and their families at the beginning of the New Year about a new scam dubbed "The Social Security Scam." A caller, pretending to be an employee of the Social Security Administration (SSA), tells the person the SSA needs to renew their cards or provide them with new free "medical" cards.

It is an old telemarketing scheme with a little twist to elicit seniors to give their bank account and Social Security numbers. But authorities worry this time it is a nationwide, possibly sophisticated, criminal operation to clear older people's bank accounts.

Why Con Men Target Senior Citizens

Clever and skilled con artists victimize professional, intelligent, uneducated and naive people. Anyone is vulnerable to an ingenious scheme. But according to official statistics, a swindler prefers to target seniors for very good reasons: many retired citizens have relatively large amounts of money in the bank and enjoy excellent credit; they tend to trust and be more attentive to other people, but mentally, they are not as perceptive and alert as they used to be.

And according to experts, older people do not report fraud as often because they don't know who to contact; they feel ashamed to admit it; or just don't know they have been schemed. And when older people report a crime, they fail to provide details like number of calls they received, number of persons they spoke with, physical characteristics, or voice accent. Nevertheless, the trait they most often remember is how polite and nice the con man appeared.

A Con Man Strategy

Swindlers know these facts and use different strategies to take advantage of them. They mail sales letters that look legitimate, knock on doors, or call their victims armed with a well designed sales pitch to sell products that promise to improve mental or physical abilities; offer believable get-rich-quick investments; and deliver "free" prizes with a charge in postage and handling.

The Signs of a Scam

But even very clever scams carry along some signs that may warn a potential victim. If someone is trying to sell a service or product and is-

- using pressure
- requesting payment up front.
- alerting about a limited time only offer
- asking for personal information

This is What to Do

1. Never provide any kind of personal information to a caller;
2. Get the person's name, business identity, telephone number, and business address;
3. Never agree to pay or send money in advance to an unknown company, organization, or sales person;
4. If in doubt, check out a business first with a local consumer group, the Better Business Bureau, the National Fraud Information Center, or your state Attorney General;
5. Talk to family, friends or financial advisor about any offer you might have received and be interested in.

If a telemarketer calls asking for your Social Security number, bank account number and some other personal information to send you a new Social Security card or new free medical card, you are being a target of the "Social Security Scam." Contact the SSA by calling 1-800-772-1213, or the Social Security Office of Inspector General (OIG) 1-800-269-0271.

According to the Washington State Office of the Attorney General, con artists steal billions of dollars each year and people over age 50 account for more than half of their victims. But seniors and their families can help reduce these numbers by being alert, adopting the strategies outlined here, and staying aware of scam alerts form authorities. Remember that using common sense is the first line of defense; if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Consumer Affairs "Social Security Scam Targets Seniors" Consumeraffairs.com
Attorney General "Senior Fraud" Washington State Office of the Attorney General
FBI "Fraud Target: Senior Citizens" Federal Bureau of Investigations